Moissanite vs. Diamonds: What Every Buyer Should Know

​When searching for a beautiful, budget-friendly alternative to an earth-mined natural diamond, many clients find themselves comparing lab-grown diamonds and moissanite. While they may look somewhat similar to the untrained eye, they are entirely different materials with vastly different properties.
Whether you are considering a natural diamond, a lab-grown diamond, or a moissanite, it is essential to understand exactly what you are purchasing so you can make an informed decision for your custom jewelry.

​The Core Difference: Genuine Diamond vs. Diamond Simulant

  • Natural & Lab-Grown Diamonds: Both of these are genuine diamonds composed of pure, crystallized carbon. Whether formed deep within the Earth over billions of years (Natural) or created in a high-tech chamber over a few weeks (Lab-Grown), their chemical and structural properties are identical.
  • Moissanite: Moissanite is a diamond simulant. It is made of a completely different mineral called silicon carbide. While natural moissanite was originally discovered in a meteorite crater, virtually all moissanite used in jewelry today is artificially created in a laboratory. It is designed to look like a diamond, but it is not one.

​Durability and Daily Wear (The Mohs Scale)

To truly understand how a gemstone will survive daily wear, we have to look at two completely different structural measurements: the Mohs Scale (resistance to scratching) and the exclusive JMD Brittle Scale (resistance to impact).​

1. Scratch Resistance (The Mohs Scale)

  • Diamonds (Rating - 10): Diamonds rank at a perfect 10 on the Mohs scale of mineral hardness. They are the hardest naturally occurring substance known to man, meaning nothing can scratch a diamond except another diamond.​
  • Moissanite (Rating - 9.25): While 9.25 sounds close to 10, the Mohs scale is non-linear—meaning a diamond is actually many times harder than a moissanite. Over years of daily wear, the sharp facet edges of a moissanite are far more prone to micro-scratches, abrasions, and dulling.

​2. Impact Resistance (The JMD Brittle Scale)

​Because traditional jewelry shopping only focuses on scratching (Mohs) and ignores chipping, we engineered the JMD Brittle Scale to help our clients understand how stones actually handle blunt trauma.
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  • Diamonds (Rating - 10): On our Brittle Scale, diamonds score a 10 for maximum atomic cohesion. However, "hardest" does not mean "indestructible." Because diamonds have a perfectly aligned internal crystal structure, they possess what gemologists call "perfect cleavage." If a diamond is struck hard enough at the exact wrong angle, it can chip or split along those specific planes.
  • Moissanite (Rating - 8 to 9): Moissanite falls into our "Excellent Tenacity" category. It is highly resistant to chipping and blunt trauma. Because its internal structure lacks the perfect cleavage planes of a diamond, it is incredibly tough against direct impacts. However, this excellent impact resistance does not outweigh its vulnerability to the daily surface scratching mentioned above.

​Brilliance and Fire (The Sparkle Factor)

  • Diamonds (Singly Refractive): A diamond's beauty comes from a balanced combination of brilliance (white flashes of light) and dispersion (rainbow-colored flashes, known as fire). Diamonds are singly refractive, meaning light enters the stone and bounces back in clean, sharp flashes.​
  • Moissanite (Doubly Refractive): When light enters a moissanite, it splits, creating a much higher degree of rainbow-colored fire. While some people love this intense "disco ball" effect, others feel that the excessive rainbow flashes make the stone look artificial when compared to the crisp, classic sparkle of a real diamond.

​Color and Upkeep

  • ​​Color Tints: While diamonds can be grown or mined to be perfectly colorless, moissanite naturally tends to project a very subtle yellowish or greenish hue, especially in natural daylight.
  • The "Oil Slick" Effect: Over time, exposure to household chemicals, soaps, and pool water can cause a temporary chemical buildup on the surface of a moissanite. This often looks like a cloudy, rainbow-colored "oil slick" that requires specialized cleaning to remove, whereas diamonds easily wash clean.

​At the Jeweler’s Bench: Heat Sensitivity

As master jewelers, we look at gemstones through the lens of structural integrity. Diamonds are incredibly resilient to the high heat of a jeweler's torch during resizing or repairs. Moissanite, however, is highly sensitive to heat. If a moissanite is exposed to the extreme temperatures required for certain bench repairs, it can permanently turn an opaque, cloudy brown.

​Price and Value

For many years, moissanite was heavily promoted because it was vastly cheaper than a natural diamond. However, advancements in technology have caused the price of Lab-Grown Diamonds to drop significantly.

Today, a high-quality Lab-Grown Diamond often costs the same—and sometimes even less—than a premium moissanite. Because you can now acquire a genuine diamond (with superior hardness and classic sparkle) for the same price as a simulant, the financial appeal of moissanite has largely disappeared.

(Note: While natural earth-mined diamonds retain historical and generational value due to their geological rarity, neither lab-grown diamonds nor moissanites should be purchased as financial investments. Both are simply beautiful, affordable options for custom jewelry).
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